Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- November 7, 2023
- Fair Play Labs
- 8h median play time
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 knocks nearly every single one of the first game’s problems into the blast zone while also introducing the exciting new Slime mechanic, a more interesting roster, and better visuals throughout.
"Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2" is a local and online multi-player fighting game featuring popular characters from various Nickelodeon shows. The game boasts improved visuals, animations, and audio, as well as new gameplay modes, stages, and cinematic supers. In the new single-player campaign, players must stop Vlad Plasmius from taking over the Nickelodeon universe.
Reviews
- Massive improvement over the first game with better graphics, gameplay, and character movesets.
- The slime meter adds depth to the combat, allowing for creative combos and strategies.
- The campaign mode is engaging and features unique character interactions and voice acting.
- The online matchmaking is often broken, with frequent disconnects and long wait times for matches.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including soft locks and unresponsive controls.
- The character roster has seen significant cuts from the first game, leaving out fan favorites.
- gameplay232 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2" has received widespread praise for its fast-paced, smooth mechanics and the introduction of the innovative slime meter, which adds depth and creativity to combat. Players appreciate the unique movesets for each character, the refined controls, and the overall balance compared to its predecessor, making it more accessible for both casual and competitive players. However, some critiques mention issues with certain mechanics feeling janky or unbalanced, and a few players express dissatisfaction with the removal of unique features from the first game.
“The gameplay feels good and interesting in terms of how every fighter has a completely different moveset from each other, a stark contrast to the previous game.”
“The slime mechanic is a lot of fun - inspired by Guilty Gear's tension gauge and Roman cancels, it lets players be creative and expressive with their attack strings and movement, cancelling essentially anything at any time and resetting back to a controllable state or saving it up all the way for a super attack.”
“The gameplay is incredibly fun, and the campaign has an entertaining story with lots of little details and character interactions.”
“Controls feel sluggish and the gameplay just feels extremely watered-down compared to the AAA of Smash.”
“Ultimately, it was mechanically shallow and characters tended to play pretty similarly.”
“There are certain elements that are better than the last game, but the gameplay overall is just bland and non-interactive.”
- story62 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the fun and engaging roguelike campaign mode that features unique character interactions and voice acting. However, some criticize the story mode for being barebones, repetitive, and plagued by bugs, while others note that it represents a significant improvement over the previous installment. Overall, while the story mode is seen as a highlight for its creativity and character depth, it still suffers from various technical issues and pacing problems.
“It also has an incredibly fun roguelike campaign mode, featuring the first original story for a Nicktoons crossover game in 15 years.”
“The story mode is currently the highlight for me as it provides unique interactions with everyone having voice acting at launch, multiple bosses that are fun to fight against, and a challenging risk and reward system from going from stage to stage.”
“The voice acting is not only even better this time around, but all the cute dialogue interactions and jokes included in the story mode are a joy to listen to, giving so much soul to all these beloved characters.”
“Gameplay is good but it's overpriced, the story mode is barebones and lackluster, the slime mechanic is terrible and shouldn't be a thing and they removed too many characters from the original.”
“The load times are terrible on my normal hard drive and taking 2 minutes to load a 10 second map in the story mode is a huge waste of time.”
“Making you repeat each zone every time you made it to the next story beat felt like unnecessary padding.”
- stability53 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting a variety of glitches and bugs that can hinder gameplay, though many find them amusing rather than game-breaking. While it generally runs well, especially on platforms like the Steam Deck, issues such as clunky controls and inconsistent mechanics detract from the experience. Overall, players acknowledge the fun gameplay but express frustration over the game's lack of polish and frequent bugs.
“It runs great, with few bugs that sometimes require a restart.”
“Runs great on Steam Deck, with no FPS issues and quick battle loading.”
“When the game isn't buggy, it's incredibly fun.”
“While I do think it's a large improvement over the first game, it's still very buggy and undercooked in a lot of areas.”
“I was really excited to try this game, but immediately got disappointed once I found out that the game is so buggy and in some instances unplayable.”
“Right now it is a giant buggy mess that is not worth $50.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their significant improvement over the original, showcasing a fresh and stylish aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. While some critiques mention a lack of creativity in character movesets and occasional visual bugs, the overall consensus highlights the visuals as a standout feature, contributing to a more engaging and enjoyable gameplay experience. Many reviewers noted that the animations and character designs are notably better, making the game visually appealing and a substantial upgrade from its predecessor.
“The visuals are really fantastic and feel very fresh.”
“Animation and artwork for the characters are massively improved and not something from a bargain bin game.”
“The graphics had a massive overhaul, looking much more sleek and stylish.”
“The art style is a flat 3D look that feels like it wasn't worth the effort.”
“There is nothing about this game that I like; the graphics are ugly, the balance feels all over the place, and it took everything I loved about the first game and threw it out the window.”
“It needs to be better optimized; graphics settings are a mess on it and changing them barely helps.”
- music42 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as fantastic and catchy, while others find it generic and less memorable compared to its predecessor. Notable tracks have been highlighted, but there are complaints about repetitive music across stages and occasional audio bugs. Overall, while many appreciate the improvements in sound design and the variety of music, some players feel it doesn't quite reach the heights of the first game.
“The battles are fun, there’s good music and the moves don't feel generic.”
“The game features a solid soundtrack and a variety of unique stages to play on.”
“The soundtrack is amazing too.”
“The music and announcer are the same/similar to NASB1 and it's not very good.”
“Sometimes the game ignores my control profile, there's tons of minor visual or audio bugs at times like some music tracks playing over other music tracks, or characters falling through the floor.”
“This, combined with most stages having similar or the same music (I know they're redone, but the point still stands) and most of the new stages being relegated to casual-only modes, kind of deflates my enthusiasm for the new stages.”
- humor24 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- -8 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding enjoyment in the glitches and quirky character interactions, often leading to hilarious moments during gameplay. While some aspects are described as "funny bad," others appreciate the comedic elements, particularly in character animations and campaign scenarios. Overall, the humor contributes to a lighthearted experience, despite some criticisms regarding quality and balance.
“There are some glitches, but they're usually funny.”
“Honestly, I didn't think it was going to be very funny, but damn, it's really funny!”
“Campaign is surprisingly fun, funny, and extensive.”
“The humor feels forced and falls flat, making the jokes unfunny.”
“The attempts at humor are so weak that they barely elicit a chuckle.”
“Most of the jokes are stale and lack any real wit or creativity.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its engaging single-player campaign and diverse character movesets, which encourage players to explore different playstyles. The addition of a roguelike campaign enhances replay value with varied challenges and boss fights, while the improved netcode supports enjoyable cross-platform online play. However, some players feel that the content may lack the depth typically expected from the roguelike genre, limiting variation in each playthrough.
“A clear improvement over NASB 1 with great replayability thanks to its campaign and terrific netcode for cross-platform online play.”
“Unbelievably replayable thanks to the new campaign.”
“The single-player content is fantastic, featuring a super fun roguelike campaign that encourages replayability.”
“Just not enough content or variation per run to tap into the replayability that the rogue-lite genre can offer.”
“For starters, the roster: yes, you have a solid selection here, but some of the cuts from game 1 are incredibly baffling (Lucy but no Lincoln? Where's the other two turtles? Why are Powdered Toast Man and Hugh Heutron dangled in front of me as NPCs when they were playable previously? And why pray tell is Grandma Gertie here but not Helga?).”
“This game is definitely an upgrade to the last game and offers a rogue campaign that's replayable.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements over its predecessor, while others criticize poor controls and performance issues, particularly on PC and Steam Deck. Many users express a desire for better graphics settings and overall optimization, indicating that while the game is enjoyable, it still requires further refinement to enhance the experience across all platforms.
“Wish people gave it another chance because this one is way better and more optimized than the first one.”
“Not only is this a major improvement over the first game, but an incredible platform fighter by itself!”
“A lot of the performance issues have seemed to be resolved through the multitude of updates and fixes.”
“One criticism I have is the game is not optimized, and I wish there were a way to lower settings.”
“This game is optimized horribly; movesets are horrible, speed is horrible, combos are garbage. Don't waste 3 dollars on this abomination.”
“It needs to be better optimized; graphics settings are a mess on it, and changing them barely helps.”
- monetization10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its $50 price point as reasonable compared to other AAA titles that often include microtransactions, while others criticize it as a cash grab reminiscent of its predecessor. Players appreciate the absence of microtransactions, contrasting it with other games like Multiversus, but some feel the game still lacks depth and polish, leading to disappointment. Overall, opinions vary on whether the game's pricing reflects genuine effort or a quick money-making scheme.
“The game has a lot more depth and a much higher budget this time around, and, to be honest, $50 is nothing compared to what most triple-A developers are asking for a bug-ridden, unfinished game at launch. At least you’re getting a game with no microtransactions like Multiversus, which will easily see you pay over $50 if you want to unlock anything fast.”
“This is an abandoned member berry cash grab just like the first one was.”
“They should have gone the Multiversus route and made it free-to-play with microtransactions.”
“Anyone who bought the first cash grab of a game for $40 should be entitled to this for free.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration over clunky controls, persistent bugs, and the risk of data corruption, leading to a sense of disappointment and reluctance to continue playing. However, there is a moment of joy noted with the native game controller support, which provided a brief positive experience amidst the overall dissatisfaction.
“However, native game controller support made me shed a tear of joy as I did not have to do a complicated workaround like in other games.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by its engaging character designs and strong voice acting, contributing to an overall heartfelt experience. The single-player campaign, enriched with roguelite elements, offers depth and improvement over its predecessor, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
“Still really fun, and there is a lot of heart in character designs, stage designs, voice acting, etc. It also has a good amount of single-player content, with a decent campaign featuring roguelite elements.”
“Gameplay, game design, character design, graphics, music, single-player content, netcode, etc. are all improved from NASB1, and most issues people are discussing in their reviews (like button remapping) will be or have already been addressed as of this review.”
“Interesting character designs.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have found grinding in ranked mode to be an exhilarating experience, with one user highlighting the enjoyment of grinding during a free weekend, despite not owning the game.
Critic Reviews
‘Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’ Is More Brain Than Brawn (PC)
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 isn’t shabby, but it isn’t shining either.
65%Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review
A decent Super Smash Bros. clone that clearly improves on the first iteration, but Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is rife with problems on Nintendo Switch. The 30 frames per second gameplay, unbelievable load times, poor presentation, and glitches that force reboots of the game mean this isn't going to be a joyful time unless playing on one of the more powerful systems. Underneath the numerous issues, there is fun to be had here, and crossplay will at least help ensure match-ups when battling online, but it is difficult to recommend this version of the game.
40%Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review — A cartoon superstar showdown
While some awkward controls and stiff animations keep this game from perfection, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is most definitely a title worth checking out. Fighting game fans and nostalgic Nickelodeon heads both have plenty to get out of this title, which makes great improvements over its successor. Plus any game with El Tigre in it is a good game in my book.
70%